Counter for counting empty  recyclable  containers

ABSTRACT

A counter for counting objects placed therethrough into a collecting device is provided. The counter comprises a holding structure having an opening disposed therein. The opening is adapted for enabling placement of the objects therethrough into the collecting device. A counting device is mounted to the holding structure in proximity to the opening such that the counting device advances a count of the objects by one when one of the objects is moved through the opening.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to recycling of empty recyclablecontainers, and more particularly to a counter for counting emptyrecyclable containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to encourage recycling, it is becoming more and morecommonplace that a cash deposit is imposed on beverage containerspurchased by consumers. Typically, after a consumer consumes thebeverage stored in the container, the consumer collects the emptyrecyclable container and returns the collected containers to a returncentre, for example, at a supermarket or a designated redemption centre,for a return of the deposit. Typically, the recyclable containers aremade in various sizes, for example, as small cans or large bottles, andare made of various materials, for example, glass, metal, or plastic.

Unfortunately, since commercially available container counting machinesare large in size, complex, and expensive, the process of counting thecontainers at most return centres is performed manually, thus requiringa considerable amount of time for staff to spend for counting whilecustomers are waiting. Furthermore, when manually counting largernumbers of containers there is an increased risk of counting errors.

It is desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclablecontainers that is simple and cost effective for residential and smallbusiness use.

It is also desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclablecontainers that is easy to use.

It is also desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclablecontainers that is easy to install and fits commercially available bins.

It is also desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclablecontainers that is capable of counting containers having differentsizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a counterfor counting empty recyclable containers that is simple and costeffective for residential and small business use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a counter forcounting empty recyclable containers that is easy to use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a counter forcounting empty recyclable containers that is easy to install and fitscommercially available bins.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a counter forcounting empty recyclable containers that is capable of countingcontainers having different sizes.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided acounter for counting objects placed therethrough into a collectingdevice. The counter comprises a holding structure having an openingdisposed therein. The opening is adapted for enabling placement of theobjects therethrough into the collecting device. A counting device ismounted to the holding structure in proximity to the opening such thatthe counting device advances a count of the objects by one when one ofthe objects is moved through the opening.

According to the aspect of the present invention, there is provided acounter for counting objects placed therethrough into a collectingdevice. The counter comprises a holding structure having an openingdisposed therein. The opening is adapted for enabling placement of theobjects therethrough into the collecting device. A counting device ismounted to the holding structure in proximity to the opening such thatthe counting device advances a count of the objects by one when one ofthe objects is moved through the opening. The counting device is amechanical counting device having a first end of a lever pivotallymovable mounted thereto is adapted for advancing the count for eachstroke of the lever.

According the aspect of the present invention, there is provided acounter for counting objects placed therethrough into a collectingdevice. The counter comprises a holding structure having an openingdisposed therein. The opening is adapted for enabling placement of theobjects therethrough into the collecting device. A counting device ismounted to the holding structure in proximity to the opening such thatthe counting device advances a count of the objects by one when one ofthe objects is moved through the opening. The counting device is amechanical counting device having a first end of a lever pivotallymovable mounted thereto is adapted for advancing the count for eachstroke of the lever. A guiding structure extends from the holdingstructure into the opening such that the objects when moved through theopening are guided towards a second end of the lever.

The advantage of the present invention is that it provides a counter forcounting empty recyclable containers that is simple and cost effectivefor residential and small business use.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides acounter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to use.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides acounter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to installand fits commercially available bins.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides acounter for counting empty recyclable containers that is capable ofcounting containers having different sizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1a to 1d are simplified block diagrams illustrating in a top view,a perspective top view, a bottom view, and a perspective bottom view,respectively, a counter for counting empty recyclable containersaccording to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 1e and 1f are simplified block diagrams illustrating inperspective top views placement of two different sized objects throughthe counter for counting empty recyclable containers according to thepreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 1g and 1h are simplified block diagrams illustrating incross-sectional views placement of an object through the counter forcounting empty recyclable containers according to the preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are simplified block diagrams illustrating in aperspective top view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, a counterfor counting empty recyclable containers according to another preferredembodiment of the invention; and,

FIGS. 3a to 3c are simplified block diagrams illustrating in a top view,a cross-sectional view, and a top view, respectively, a counter forcounting empty recyclable containers according to yet another preferredembodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used inthe practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methodsand materials are now described.

While the description of the preferred embodiments hereinbelow is withreference to counting empty recyclable containers such as, for example,empty cans and bottles, it will become evident to those skilled in theart that the embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto, butare also adaptable for counting various other objects having differentshapes in a residential or small business environment.

Referring to FIGS. 1a to 1h a counter for counting empty recyclablecontainers 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention isprovided. The counter 100 comprises a holding structure 102 having anopening 102B disposed therein. The opening 102B is adapted for enablingplacement of objects 20 therethrough into a collecting device 10 suchas, for example, a recycle bin 10. Counting device 104 is mounted to theholding structure in proximity to the opening 102B such that thecounting device 104 advances a count of the objects 20 by one when oneof the objects 20 is moved through the opening 102B. Preferably, thecounting device 104 is a mechanical counting device having a first end106A of a lever 106 pivotally movable mounted to axle 104A thereof. Thecounting device 104 advances the count for each stroke of the lever 106,for example, a 45° degree stroke of the lever 106, which is shown ondisplay 104B.

Typically, the lever 106 is returned to its original position using aspring. The count is easily reset via reset button 104C, for example, bypressing or turning the same after emptying the bin 10. Preferably, themechanical counter is commercially available such as, for example, aGOGO Desktop Mechanical Tally Counter model KDCJ-AL0011.

The counter 100 is adapted for counting objects 20 having differentsize, for example, from small cans to large plastic bottles, asillustrated in FIGS. 1e and 1f . Preferably, in order to ensure thatobjects 20 of small or large size are counted, a guiding structure 108A,108B is provided. The guiding structure 108A, 108B extends from theholding structure 102 such that the objects 20 when moved through theopening 102B are guided towards a second end 106B of the lever 106,which is placed, for example, in proximity to centre line 102C of theopening 102B, with the centre line 102C being oriented approximatelyperpendicular to a plane of the opening 102B.

Preferably, the guiding structure 108A, 108B comprises a plurality offlexible guiding elements extending from the holding structure 102 inproximity to the opening 102B. A first portion 108A of each of theguiding elements extends from the holding structure 102 having anorientation approximately opposite a direction of movement of theobjects 20, indicated by a block arrow in FIGS. 1g and 1h , through theopening 102B. A second portion 108B of each of the guiding elementsextends from the first portion 108A having an orientation in thedirection of movement of the objects 20 and towards the second end 106Bof the lever 106. In use, the objects 20 when moved through the opening102B are guided towards the second end 106B of the lever 106 which isrotated around axle 104A when the objects 20 are in contact therewith,as indicated by the block arrow in FIG. 1h . When in contact with thesecond portion 108B of the guiding elements, further movement of theobjects 20 pushes the same in a direction away from the centre line102C, as indicated by the block arrows in FIG. 1 h.

The counter 100 further comprises securing structure 102A adapted, forexample, for securing the same to a top rim 10A of the bin 10 and,optionally, securing pins 110 for engaging the inside walls of the bin10, as illustrated in FIGS. 1a to 1d . The counter 100 is easily placedon the top of a plastic bin 10 for counting the empty recyclablecontainers collected therein. Optionally, the empty recyclablecontainers are collected in a plastic bag placed inside the bin andsecured thereto by clamping the same between top rim 10A of the plasticbin 10 and the securing structure 102A of the counter 100. When theplastic bag is filled, the counter 100 is removed from the plastic bagand the bin 10, enabling removal of the plastic bag from the bin 10.After removal the same is tied and the number of the count indicated onthe display 104B is, for example, written onto the bag. After placementof a new bag inside the bin 10, the counter 100 is reset and placedagain onto the rim 10A of the bin 10 such that the bag is clampedbetween the top rim 10A of the plastic bin 10 and the securing structure102A of the counter 100.

The holding structure 102, the securing structure 102A, the guidingelements 108A, 108B, and the securing pins 110, are made of, forexample, a plastic material such as Polyethylene (PE) using aconventional plastic moulding process. Furthermore, the holdingstructure 102, the securing structure 102A, and the guiding elements108A, 108B may be made as a single unit. The counting device 104 ismounted to the holding structure 102 using conventional fasteners suchas, for example, pop rivets, screw fasteners, or an adhesive. The lever106 is made of, for example, sheet metal or sheet plastic material suchas PE.

Alternatively, the first portion 108A of the guiding elements may beprovided as a ring type structure extending from the holding structureand surrounding the opening 102B. An opening disposed in the ring typestructure enables placement and movement of the lever 106 therethrough.

Further alternatively, the orientation in the direction of movement ofthe objects 20 of the second portion 108B may be omitted.

Further alternatively, if the opening 102B of the counter 100 is usedfor counting objects 20 having similar size, the guiding structure maybe omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b a counter for counting empty recyclablecontainers 200 according to another preferred embodiment of theinvention is provided. The counter 200 comprises a holding structure 202having an opening 202B disposed therein. The holding structure 202 isadapted to form a lid for being placed on top of bin 10 with rimstructure 202A interacting with respective top rim structure 10A of thebin 10. For example, the holding structure 202 is raised from the rimstructure 202A towards the location of the opening 202B. Guidingelements 208 extend from the holding structure 202 having an orientationin the direction of movement of the objects 20 and towards the secondend 206B of the lever 206. It is noted that in order for the guidingelements to guide the objects towards the second end 206B of the lever206, the placement of the counting device 104 or the shape of the lever206 are adapted such that the second end 206B of the lever 206 is placedbetween the guiding elements 208. Alternatively, the holding structure202 is substantially flat and the guiding structure is provided similarto the one illustrated in FIGS. 1a to 1h . As is evident to one skilledin the art, the counter 200 is easily adapted to fit various bin sizesand bin shapes.

Referring to FIGS. 3a to 3c a counter for counting empty recyclablecontainers 300 according to yet another preferred embodiment of theinvention is provided. The counter 300 comprises a holding structure 302having an opening 302B disposed therein. In order to obviate the guidingstructure, the counter 300 comprises an interacting structure 320, 322connected to the lever 306, which is adapted for covering at least asubstantial portion of the opening 302B to ensure that the lever 306 isrotated when smaller sized objects 20 are moved through the opening302B, as indicated by the block arrows in FIG. 3b . The interactingstructure may comprise a plate 320 or a fork 322, as illustrated inFIGS. 3a and 3c , respectively.

Optionally, the mechanical counting device 104 is replaced with abattery operated digital counting device capable of printing the countonto a label. Further optionally, the lever mechanism is replaced with asensor such as, for example, an electro-optical sensor for detecting thepresence of an object moved through the opening. Yet further optionally,the digital counting device is adapted for wirelessly communicatingwith, for example, a mobile device such as a smart phone, or tabletcomputer, to provide information related to the recyclable containerssuch as, for example, the number of containers presently collected.

The counters 100, 200, and 300 are simple and cost effective tomanufacture for residential and small business use, for example, byproviding a single unit made of plastic material in a conventionalmanner and attaching a commercially available mechanical countingdevice.

Furthermore, the counters 100, 200, and 300 are easy to install by, forexample, placing them on top of a rim of a bin, and easy to use, forexample, by simply pushing a button to reset the counting device.

Furthermore, the counters 100, 200, and 300 are easily adapted to fitvarious sizes and shapes of commercially available bins.

Furthermore, the counters 100, 200, and 300 are capable of countingcontainers having different sizes.

It is noted, that while the description of the preferred embodimentshereinabove is with reference to circular openings 102B, 202B, and 302B,it is evident to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto, but are also adaptable for employingdifferent shaped openings such as, for example, rectangular or squareshaped openings, depending on the shapes of the objects to be counted.Furthermore, while the description of the preferred embodimentshereinabove is with reference to a horizontal orientation of the planeof the openings 102B, 202B, and 302B, it is evident to those skilled inthe art that the embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto,but are also adaptable for orienting the plane of the openings 102B,202B, and 302B, vertically or at any angle therebetween.

The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferredembodiments. However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the artthat a number of variations and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A counter for counting objects placedtherethrough into a collecting device comprising: a holding structurehaving an opening disposed therein, the opening being adapted forenabling placement of the objects therethrough into the collectingdevice; and, a counting device mounted to the holding structure inproximity to the opening such that the counting device advances a countof the objects by one when one of the objects is moved through theopening.
 2. The counter according to claim 1 wherein the counting deviceis a mechanical counting device having a first end of a lever pivotallymovable mounted thereto, and wherein the counting device is adapted foradvancing the count for each stroke of the lever.
 3. The counteraccording to claim 1 wherein the counter is adapted for counting objectshaving different size.
 4. The counter according to claim 3 comprising aguiding structure extending from the holding structure into the openingsuch that the objects when moved through the opening are guided towardsa second end of the lever.
 5. The counter according to claim 4 whereinthe guiding structure comprises a plurality of flexible guiding elementsextending from the holding structure in proximity to the opening andhaving an orientation in the direction of movement of the objects andtowards the second end of the lever.
 6. The counter according to claim 5wherein each of the guiding elements comprises a first portion extendingfrom the holding structure in a direction opposite a direction of themovement of the objects through the opening and a second portion havingan orientation in the direction of movement of the objects and towardsthe second end of the lever.
 7. The counter according to claim 3comprising an interacting structure connected to the lever, theinteracting structure being adapted for covering at least a substantialportion of the opening.
 8. The counter according to claim 7 wherein theinteracting structure comprise one of a plate and a fork.
 9. The counteraccording to claim 1 wherein the holding structure is adapted for beingsecured to a top rim of a bin.
 10. The counter according to claim 9wherein the holding structure is adapted to form a lid of the bin.